Page 157 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

Yes. Mr. Aspinall: During this watch of yours from eight to 12, did you notice at what sort of speed your ship was travelling? Would you say she was travelling at her full speed? The Commissioner: I do not understand you. You say the vibration was such as to indicate that the engines were going astern. The engines were stopped, were they not? The Attorney-General: According to our view. Mr. Aspinall: “Stopped.” I think the order came, “Full speed astern,” according to the earlier evidence. The Commissioner: Were the engines ever reversed? They were stopped, I know. Mr. Aspinall: I think, my Lord, there has been evidence that they were reversed. The Commissioner: Very well. 2798. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) Or we have it coming. (To the Witness.) At any rate, your view is that there was that vibration going on in the ship which one feels when the engines are put astern? - That is quite so, Sir. 2799. Having felt the shock, what did you do? - Came out on the fore-well deck. 2800. When you got out on the fore-well deck, did you see anything? - Yes. 2801. What did you see? - I knew we had struck an iceberg. 2802. Why did you know you had struck an iceberg? - I saw the ice on the deck. 2803. Did you see the iceberg itself? - No, Sir. 2804. Did you remain there, or go elsewhere? - I picked a piece of ice up and went underneath the foc’sle with it outside the mess room. 2805. You went back to your mess room? - Yes. 2806. Were you alarmed then, or not? - No. 2807. You thought nothing of it? - No. 2808. Having gone back to your mess room, did you remain there, or did you leave the mess- room? - I remained outside the mess-room for a few minutes. 2809. And then? - I saw the carpenter. 2810. Before you saw the carpenter, while you were remaining outside the mess-room, what was your ship doing? Did you notice? - I think the ship was stopped, Sir. 2811. Now I will just go back for one minute. With regard to the coldness of the night. Did you hear any orders which came from the Officer of the Watch to anybody? - Yes. 2812. What orders were those? - I saw Quartermaster Hichens about half-past nine, and he had orders to go and tell the carpenter to look after the fresh water as it might freeze. 2813. This was something that was told you, was it? - Yes, by the man himself that went and put the question to the carpenter. 2814. Hichens had orders. Did Hichens tell you who gave those orders? - Yes. 2815. Who? - Mr. Lightoller. 2816. And who is he? - The Officer of the Watch from 8 to 10. The Commissioner: I have got that evidence somewhere already. The Attorney-General: Hichens himself said it. 2817. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) Now, to go back to where we were before; you were just telling me that you saw the carpenter? - Yes. 2818. Did anything pass between you and the carpenter? - Yes. 2819. Will you tell me what was said by the carpenter to you? - The carpenter told me, and said the ship was making water; “Get up to your boats.” 2820. Did he give you any more definite information than that? - No. 2821. He did not tell you how much? - He said about 7 feet, Sir. 2822. Did he tell you whether he had been sounding himself? - He had been sounding the wells down in the firemen’s compartment.